Le Saint Morgon

Président's Saint Morgon is a cheese which mold layer is removed. During the ripening process, the cheese is turned over every day and washed with lukewarm salty water. Thanks to this procedures Le Saint Morgon has a beautiful light surface and its texture resembles the surface of an orange peel. It has a rich flavor and a very soft and creamy texture.Of course, I have eaten better cheeses but this one is not bad at all.

Gorgonzola (Italy)

I have tasted Gorgonzola a  long time ago and I was so disappointing experience that whenever I noticed it the store I omitted it.  Last week I decided to give it another chance. It taste like pudding to me. I mean a home made pudding made with yolks, milk, sugar and starch. I haven't notice any piquancy or distinctive flavor. I can only assume that the piece I bought was young (Gorgonzola dolce), aged for 2-3 months.

Saint Agur ( Monts du Velay)

I was so happy to notice St. Agur during my last shopping trip. I love blue cheeses so any new product is very welcome. Saint Agur has a quite short history, as it was created in 1988 in the volcanic region of Mont de Valey by Beauzac's master cheese makers. Their goal was to combine  a creamy texture with the subtle taste of a fruity blue.

St. Agur is matured for at least 80 days and final product in octagonal shape weights between 4-5 lb. Then the cheese is packaged in aluminum paper and it continues maturing  until we can enjoy it.

I like St. Agur. It has all of the characteristics which make the cheese tasty to me: it has strong, distinctive flavor coming from blue veins, it is salty, buttery and spreadable - perfect to enjoy on a slice of rye bread.

But still I enjoy more Blue Stilton or Roquefort.

Recipe: Crab Loaf with Saint Agur

Cahill's Vintage Irish Cheddar with Porter

It's impossible to overlook the cheese and don't buy it. When I first saw it  reminded me "Salceson" - a type of head cheese (which has nothing in common with dairy products) made in Poland.
It has bitter flavor, which is lees strong when cheese is melted. I don't drink beer but I really enjoy the taste of the cheddar. Unique and irresistible.

Especially for Cahill's Vintage Irish Cheddar with Porter I baked : sourdough rye with double chocolate stout.

Belletoile Triple Cream Brie (Henri Hutin) / Double Creme Brie Cheese (France)

I even don't remember when was  the last time I bought that cheese. Belletoile Triple Cream is a spreadable cheese that is buttery, luscious  rich and mellow in flavor. But when I'm thinking about brie my first choice is always Traditional French Brie. And when I crave for a triple creme cheese I choose between Saint Andre and  Le Delice de Bourgogne. Belletoile Triple Cream is  too salty to my taste and not as satisfying as I would expect from triple creme cheese.

Another brie which is little disappointing to my (spoiled) taste buds is Double Creme Brie Cheese. Just ordinary brie, plain and forgettable. 

Le Petit Crème (France)

I totally agree with the description from a label. Amazing cheese!

TINTERN -Welsh Cheddar with Chives and Shallots

Another creation of in Somerdale’s cheese makers and for me it was a love at a first sight / bite. It is a full-bodied cheese with perfectly assorted flavors: fresh chives and shallots from the gardens of Tintern Abbey. Smooth and creamy, taste even more delicious when melted. It seems like the shallots were fried and chives release all its aromas.

Red Dragon Cheddar with Wholegrain Mustard & Welsh Brown Ale (Somerdale)

Cheddar, wholegrain mustard seeds and Welsh brown ale constitute Y Fenni cheese. Red waxed bears
the name of the symbol taken from the Welsh flag. Another Y Fenni cheese have a yellow wax but similarly to Red Dragon it is labeled with a medieval artwork.



This Cheddar Cheese has more appealing name and look than flavor.
When I first tasted it, I was really disappointed that the cheese is not as hot as I would expected. There is plenty of mustard seeds in it, but they are soft and mild. Melting helps to release its tangy flavor.
The cheese is as the Cheddar should be: buttery and creamy.



I believe that the cheddar is worth giving it a try. I appreciate it original farmhouse character and attractive, deliberated design.





It also pairs very well with chicken or turkey breast.



Recipes
Omelet with Red Dragon Cheddar and Cubanelle Pepper
Veal stuffed with Red Dragon

Oak Smoked English Cheddar

I really hate artificially smoked cheese. But, thanks God, there are the people who can smoke traditionally. The cheese comes the Quicke's family in Devon in the United Kingdom.
Their 12-15-month mature well-flavored cheddar has been traditionally smoked for 3-4 hours over oak chips from the farm's woodland. No liquids are used to smoke and there are no artificial flavorings.  It gives the cheese a strong flavor of smoking and a slightly dry texture.

Thanks to this cheese I started discovering and enjoying cheddar cheese. I had a few unpleasant experiences with cheddar made in the USA and I hadn't expected that I would fall in love with the cheese.

Cheddar info

Chocolate English Cheddar

I don't care about chocolate at all. I can't live without it. But I'm a huge fan of English Cheddar, so without hesitation I bough a piece of this cheese. I was very happy to feel again well known flavor of the English Cheddar, not distracted by dark chocolate.  For sure I will buy more.

Havarti, Cream Havarti, Fløde Havarti

Havarti was created by Hanne Nielsen at her farm Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the mid-20th century. She traveled to many countries to learn cheese making. There is nothing extraordinary in Havarti : it is a washed curds cheese, aged for only 3 months . It has no rind, its surface is bright pale with very tiny and irregular "eyes".

 I believe original is better than mass produced Creamy Havarti (photos below).  Fløde Havarti  is made from high-pasteurized milk, which means that the whey remains  in the curd. The remaining of whey could change the smell and taste of the cheese if it was ripened too long.

Tasty enough when melted; cold is buttery, gooey, mild , pretty boring. It reminds me the time during communism in Poland when all  of the cheeses (about 3) looked and tasted  hopeless. Havarti is also flavored with dill (it looks funny, but I'm not going to try because I loathe dill ), caraway seeds, cranberry, garlic, basil, coconut, sour cream & chives, red pepper and jalapeño. I have all of them at home so I can try to combine some of them with the rest of the cheese to give it a kick.

Burrata (domestic/ Murgie in Puglia)

Burrata (means buttered in Italian) is a mozzarella cheese filed with fresh sweet cream. It was created at the beginning of the previous century to use up curds left over from making mozzarella. Burrata in the photo below is made in USA as many Italian style cheeses ( for example Ricotta, Asagio, Fontina), sausages, hams and prosciutto.

My husband's favorite breakfast,  sliced open Burrata, fresh tomatoes and cilantro.

Domestic cold cuts

Traditional Burrata from Puglia is tied to form a little brioche-like topknot, and moistened with a little whey. It is also wrapped in green leaves of  Asphodelus , which indicate the freshness of cheese. While dried out leaves indicate that the cheese is past its prime. Burrata is highly perishable and should be consumed in a week from being made so most of us won't be so lucky to try an original.. Traditionally, the cheese is served with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil.

Queso Manchego/Iberico (Spain)

Produced in La Mancha in Central Spain, Manchego is made from 100% sheep’s milk. Due to climate conditions ( raw, cold winters and dry summers) milk is  exceptionally fatty and aromatic.

It is easily recognized by the zigzag pattern etched into its rind and moist interior with tiny holes.

Manchego can be ripened from two to six months. Young (fresco) has fresh and elegant flavor, older (curado) is more salty, piquant and aromatic. The oldest (anjeo) ripens up to two years and becomes extra hard.

Iberico is a Manchego-style cheese made from a blend of cow (50%), goat (30%) and sheep’s milk (10%). Interesting, Iberico cheese is produced only in the province of Valladolid in central Spain. 

The interior paste has a light yellow/ white to slight beige color, mild  aroma and interesting flavor.

Both are great as table cheeses; they also melt well and delicious in omelets or salads (Snow Pea Salad with Manchego).
Recipes:
Broccoli Rabe with Chestnuts and Iberico

St. André ( Coutances, Normandy)

St. André is coated with a satiny, edible rind which hides a rich (up to 70% butterfat) center.  I don't like butter but the cheese flavor is more complex and  I can't help from eating St. André from time to time. It's delicious with sourdough bread, dried fruit and nuts. Much better than any sweet dessert. No gilt at all.



Recipe with Saint Andre: Rice Stuffed Green Shells Mussels

Dutch Gouda/Spring Gouda

I enjoy a young Gouda cheese much more than  those aged. It's firm, easy to cut, has silky and smooth consistency and has only a few small holes. Taste is mild and creamy, not sophisticated. It is sometimes good to eat a simple sandwich with a slice of Gouda topped with tomato for breakfast.
Double Cream Gouda has buttery flavor but  it's rubbery and not easy to slice.

Meadowkaas Spring Gouda – a gouda that’s only available in springtime. It’s cheese’s version of Beaujolais Nouveau. I didn’t expect much from it but the cheese is delicious: mild, creamy, nutty, and salty. It has nice small but visible holes, has natural yellow color and smells like fresh butter. The best Gouda I have ever eaten. If only spring could last at least for 6 months.

1,000 Day / Old Amsterdam Gouda ( Netherlands)

 Gouda has very good keeping qualities, and some are aged for even for 4 years. It's the Netherlands' specialty and represents over 60% of the entire Dutch cheese production. Gouda comes from  the small town situated between Rotterdam and Utrecht and was exported as far back as 13th century. 

Below, three aged Gouda  cheeses I have tasted so far.

Tagen Dagan Gouda must be the oldest cheese I have ever eaten. I'm not a  connoisseur of aged cheeses and I taste them once or twice a year. It's hard and but not so dry. It is coated in  orange wax. Caramel color , a uniquely crystalline texture and nutty smell make the cheese very tempting. The taste is sharp and intensive.  At the beginning, I thought that the color comes from natural process of aging. Then I noticed annatto at the list of ingredients.  When cheese is melted you can feel how salty and fat it is. I don't like it at all.

Recipe for warm sandwiches with mushrooms and cheese.

On or two years ago  I had tasted Old Amsterdam Gouda and it is said " to be ripened to perfection" and regularly checked for flavor. It's matured for only 18 months and its paste is pale yellow and coated with black wax.

Sheep's Milk  Aged Gouda has some caramel flavor, which I found very interesting.